Former R.E.M. Drummer Bill Berry Returns To Rock With The Bad Ends

The band’s debut LP, The Power and the Glory, comes out on January 20th

January 5, 2023January 5, 2023 Ron Hart 0 Comments Bill Berry, Christian Lopez, Dave Domizi, Five Eight, Geoff Melkonian, Mike Mantione, R.E.M., The Bad Ends, The Power and The Glory

The Bad Ends, a new band from Athens, GA, featuring former R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry, will be coming out with their debut, The Power and the Glory, on January 20th via New West Records.

The album was produced in Athens by Mike Albanese of Maserati and indeed does the group’s historic hometown proud. Alongside Berry, The Bad Ends also features Mike Mantione of 90s Athens favorites Five Eight on vocals & guitar, Dave Domizi on bass & vocals, Geoff Melkonian of the Josh Joplin Group on keyboards & vocals and Christian Lopez on guitars & mandolin. Together, they create a sound that will no doubt perk the ears of Athens rock fans worldwide. Sean Dunn of Five Eight and John Neff of Drive-By Truckers also make appearances on the album as well.

The Bad Ends pay deep homage to their roots in the video for the album’s first single “All Your Friends Are Dying,” which was directed by Lance Bangs (Jackass, Sonic Youth, Pavement). Largely shot at Berry’s home in Athens, the video also features appearances by Mike Mills of R.E.M., Vanessa Briscoe Hay of Pylon, Bob Hay of the Squalls, Frank McDonald of The Glands, a namechecked Jody Stephens of Big Star, music producer David Barbe (also of Bob Mould’s Sugar), and many more.

VIDEO: The Bad Ends “All Your Friends Are Dying”

“In very early 2017, a chance pedestrian encounter in downtown Athens found me face to face with one Mike Mantione,” Berry explains of the project. “At that point it had been over 2 decades since I’d involved myself with the record making process and here was a man Peter Buck recently described as ‘the unsung hero of Athens rock and roll’ offering an opportunity to play in the game again. It was energizing to once again play with top notch musicians. This record is unique for me in that it was the only one, with which I was involved, that was written, rehearsed, recorded, produced and mastered in Athens!”

Additionally, The Bad Ends have also announced a rare live performance celebrating the release of The Power and the Glory at the legendary 40 Watt Club in Athens on Saturday, January 28th. They will also support homeboys Drivin N Cryin on February 18th at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, though Bill Berry will not be joining the band on this date.

“I was so grateful to be able to record this album with my friends,” Mantione says of working on The Power and the Glory. “I’m a bit of a fanboy of Bill’s and pretty much so is everyone else in the band. One of the crazy things is to be in a room with Bill, watch him work, and hear stories about the albums that defined everything I know and love about music. I will never forget how excited I was on the first day of recording.”

The Bad Ends The Power and the Glory, New West Records 2023

The Bad Ends’ The Power and the Glory will be available across digital platforms, compact disc and vinyl.

A limited to 750 Translucent Orange edition autographed by The Bad Ends will be available at Independent Retailers while a very limited Hand-Poured Translucent Green edition autographed by The Bad Ends is available for pre-order now via New West Records.

The Bad Ends The Power and the Glory Track List: